This study examined the effects of 4 weeks of living high-training low and high (LHTLH) under moderate
hypoxia on
body weight, body composition, and metabolic risk markers of
overweight and obese females. Nineteen healthy
overweight or obese females participated in this study. Participants were assigned to the normoxic training group (NG) or the LHTLH group (HG). The NG participants lived and trained at sea level. The HG participants stayed for approximately 10 hours in a simulated 2300 m normobaric state of
hypoxia for six days a week and trained for 2 hours 3 times a week under the same simulated
hypoxia. The interventions lasted for 4 weeks. All groups underwent
dietary restriction based on resting metabolic rate. The heart rate of the participants was monitored every ten minutes during exercise to ensure that the intensity was in the aerobic range. Compared with the preintervention values,
body weight decreased significantly in both the NG and the HG (-8.81 ± 2.09% and -9.09 ± 1.15%, respectively). The fat mass of the arm, leg, trunk, and whole body showed significant reductions in both the NG and the HG, but no significant interaction effect was observed. The percentage of lean soft tissue mass loss in the total
body weight loss tended to be lower in the HG (27.61% versus 15.94%, P=0.085). Between the NG and the HG, significant interaction effects of serum total
cholesterol (-12.66 ± 9.09% versus -0.05 ± 13.36%,) and
apolipoprotein A1 (-13.66 ± 3.61% versus -5.32 ± 11.07%, P=0.042) were observed. A slight increase in serum
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was observed in the HG (1.12 ± 12.34%) but a decrease was observed in the NG (-11.36 ± 18.91%). The interaction effect of HDL-C between NG and HG exhibited a significant trend (P=0.055). No added effects on serum
triglycerides (TGs),
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (
LDL-C), or
APO-B were observed after 4 weeks of LHTLH. In conclusion, 4 weeks of LHTLH combined with
dietary restriction could effectively reduce the
body weight and body fat mass of
overweight and obese females. Compared with training and sleeping under normoxia, no additive benefit of LHTLH on the loss of
body weight and body fat mass was exhibited. However, LHTLH may help to relieve the loss of lean soft tissue mass and serum HDL-C.